The Gardeners Almanac

The place to find out what to do in the garden this week
My Back Garden

Gazania

Common name: Treasure Flower

Related Links

Week Numbers

Compost

Containers

Harden Off

Heating

Planting out

Pricking out

Seed sowing

Overview

Yellow and red flowerhead

Dual coloured variety

Pale pink and purple flower head

Pink bi-colour

Showing a mass of autumnal coloured flowers

Gazania in the Border

Gazania a native to South Africa is a short-lived perennial in the UK.


It should be grown as an annual in all but the mildest areas, where it can be used to add colour to narrow borders or as features in groups in a herbaceous bed.


Alternatively grow them in planters of a size which can be taken into a frost free area and saved for the following year.


The 70mm (3") diameter daisy-shaped flowers appear from July till the first frosts.

They grow to around 250mm (10") tall with a similar spread and need well-drained soil and full sun to be at their best, they tend to close when the sun goes down.


Cultivation:

Week 8:

Sow the seeds in pots/trays of seed compost and germinate at a temperature 18°-21°C (64°-70°F)

They should take three to five days to germinate.

Grow on at 14°-16°C (57°-61°F)


Week 9:

Prick out the seedlings if large enough to handle into 75mm (3") pots of potting compost.

Grow on at a minimum temperature of 8°C (45°F) till planting out time.


Week 13:

Gradually harden the plants off.


Week 22:

Plant out 300mm (12") apart.


Week 43:

In colder areas it may be worth while lifting plants and potting them up to store in a frost free area.